GemPopper - Part 1
by Wikius
Summary: A wisterner, an Insectoid, and a Aeternal


Author's Last Name / 1-2 Words from Title / 26

Gem popperbyFreedom Riley, Simon Cox, and hyde king

"Chapter 1

A Wisterner, an Instectoid and an Aeternal. These three races together symbolize one of the greatest journeys ever in the history of Torsin. Why? Well I'll tell you. It starts with the government. You see, Torsins government is constantly pulling people off the streets to go on "undercover" missions. Often to places government officials can't even dream of going to. The people "enlisted" in this arrangement are often put in groups, to help keep safe. A large metal room is where it happens. The groups first meeting together. Here we find our Wisterner, leaning against a large tree in the middle of the room. Wisterners are mining people. They are fairly good with technology, uses Wists as their choice of tool. Wists are magic. Pure magic, which usually inhabit gems as vessels. Both large and small. Back to our Wisterner. His name is Gil. He has volunteered to help and is patiently waiting for his partners to come. Gil wears goggles around his neck, and has a western look about him he carries a backpack around with him. Full of various things. _Cachcachank_. Two doors slam shut in the far corners of the room. An Aeternal and an Instectoid step out. The Aeternals are a metal race, always guarding the island they inhabit. Nobody knows why. His name is Esdus, and is a walking suit of armor, just one variety of the Aeternal. He is a dark blue color with sharp edges and a collar up to his red eyes, enveloped in a shroud of darkness. Two bat-like ears sprout from his head. He steadily walks with a _clank clank_ with each step he takes, rumbling the floor beneath him. An Instectoid scuttles on the other side of the room, fading in and out of view, as if invisible. His name is Zage. 7 limbs; 5 arms and 2 legs, he approaches Gil menacingly. The Instectoid are an insect-like race, some arachnid, and most insect. They are a menacing race, who are brilliant at stealth. He wore an amulet around his neck that let him be in the sunlight. The three meet in the middle. This is where it begins.

"Hey partner," Gil was the first to speak, "nice to meet ya'll"

"Oh God," Esdus muttered as he turned away from Gil, "a GemPopper"

Gil snapped back "What did you say to me Tin-Head?" Gil had dealt with disrespectful people like this before. Especially Aeternals

Esdus didn't respond

"I've already had enough of you, but apparently we gotta work together."

"Like I'll ever work with you."

Gil ignored that.

"We gotta go meet up at the instruction room, but first we gotta bond. Get to know each other."

Gil turned to Esdus

"What's your name?"

"Not Tin-Head."

"Okay 'Not Tin-Head' my names Gil. Nice to meet you.

Esdus sat down and leaned against the tree "Hmmph!"

"Now now, don't get me angry."

Esdus retorted "what are you going to do? Wist me to death? He he."

Gil reached into his backpack "no, but," he pulled out a glowing purple gem "I can do this!"

Gil put on his goggles, grabbed Esdus' right arm, it was surprisingly warm, and shoved the gem into it.

Esdus screamed in agony, "AUUUUGGGGG!" As he was trying to get up.

Esdus looked at his arm. It was no longer metal. It was replaced with a fleshy arm. The arm was mutated and huge, the three-fingered hand and the end was a big as his torso. It had bone claws sticking out at the shoulder and fingers, it clung to Esdus like a tumor, covering his chest in flesh.

Esdus looked up at Gil, his eyes gaping, he looked at Gil and his right arm, alternating quickly. He was quietly whimpering "Wh-what did you do to my arm? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY ARM?" He was almost crying now. "I'm a monster, a damn monster!"

"I-I can fix it" Gil said. He had not expected this. He looked down at Esdus, who was shivering at the sight of his right arm. He started banging the gem on the tree, hoping for...something. But his attempts to solve the problem were hopeless.

"I-I'm sorry but." Gil hesitated, "I can't reverse it."

Esdus got on his feet. "What" he was furious now "WHAT?" He grabbed Gil's neck with is right arm, and started to pick him up.

"Guys, we need to work together." Zage chimed in.

Esdus dropped Gil, then turned away, disgusted.

"I can barely move my arm. Why. Why would you do this? Why would you ruin someone's life like this?" Esdus' right arm was hanging almost dead at his side. He turned around. "I hate you, and all you stupid Wisterners. Your IQ must be subzero if you think for one second we could work together."

"Wow. That's low. Not like you would understand. After all, you're just a suit of armor. You don't have emotions anyway."

Esdus looked at Gil. He was on the edge of breaking down. Esdus was always accused of being soulless and/or emotionless all his life because of his appearance and race. Sure, he does come off as a walking suit of armor, which he was, but he's a person too. Right?

"Let's just go." Esdus sighed. He started to limp forward, hunched over and looking down at the ground. The arm was about as heavy as Gil and his right foot was scraping against the metal floor with a _screeeee_.

"Here, let me make this easier for you," Gil said. Esdus looked up. Gil tossed a blue gem to him. It flashed and the arm felt lighter.

"How did you do that?" Esdus said as he tossed the gem back.

"Totally not illegal steroids." Gil replied.

CHAPTER 2

"So I see you've gotten along, have you?" The Quest giver said

Esdus scoffed. Gil kicked him

"Anyway, we've got you tickets to an old Instectoid temple via train"

"Are they two way tickets?" Zage chirped.

The counselor brought the tickets up to his chest and looked at the ground.

"Okay, we'll it's clear that we will never be coming back so let's just get this over with."

"Hold on," the Quest giver handed the tickets to Gil, "you need to get the Wist gem in this Instectoid temple. There is a guardian, but uhhhhh. Just go"

He pushed the three of them out of his office, and into the hall. The three of them walked outside to the train station. The train system is the cheapest way to transport people and things. Trains are operated and dispersed to places by rail guns. Rail guns shoot rails to anywhere. Trains are grown by Wisterners and are fairly easy to maintain. The train starts in a tight circle and gets as much momentum as possible before somebody with a rail gun shoots a rail for the train to go down.

"Oh god, it's starting." Gil stuck his head out the train window and threw chunks. A lot of chunks. I mean wow, is that even possible?

"Wow, are you okay?" Esdus leaned toward Gil.

Gil sat back down in his seat, "yeah, I'm fine, I just get motion sick whenever the train starts in that circle." He looked down at Esdus' right arm. It was awkwardly covered by his left arm, and tucked in to his left side and the train wall. Gil tried to build up the courage to say anything to try to brighten the day. But he didn't have to.

"So you're from the Wist huh?" Esdus said.

"Course I am. Hey, look, I'm sorry about your arm." Gil looked at the Down at the table between him, Zage and Esdus. He didn't mean to horribly mutate him, at least not forever.

"Hey, no big deal, I'll probably get used to it, and hey, maybe we'll find a Wist that will reverse it."

Gil winced. There was no way to reverse it, if he couldn't, he didn't know what could.

"He he," he laughed nervously, "Yeah where there's a will, there's a way, right?"

"Hey, sorry I was a jerk earlier, I'm just a little hostile to new people, especially Wisterners."

"I understand, most Wisterners are a little bit racist. I'm no exception. "

"You know what? You're pretty cool for a Wisterner."

"You too buddy"

Esdus turned to Zage, "what's that thing on your back anyway?" He grabbed the thing the 7th limb was holding. It was a hilt.

"I will end you."

Esdus continued to pull the sword out of Zages grasp. He freed it and Zage, being an Instectoid, scuttled up the wall and disappeared. Esdus examined the sword. It had blue lines running parallel down to the tip of the sword. They started at a square eye placed right above the hilt. The eye had a circuit board design surrounding it.

"What cha got there Esdus?" Gil looked down Esdus' shoulder.

"Just some sword Zage had." He put it down onto the table.

"That there looks like our technology don't it?" he squinted

Esdus looked back at Gil, "how do you say?"

"Well look," he pointed to the lines and touched them. They started to glow.

"You think so?" Esdus said

"I know so, Zage must've gotten this from somewhere else." Gil looked directly at where Zage was, even though he was still cloaked.

"You know what sucks about being metal. You can't eat or drink. Whenever you go anywhere, there are always people eating. I have always wondered what food tasted like."

Gil looked up, "You're not missing out the food where I live is terrible."

A PA announcement roared in the train. Gil, Esdus and Zage were the only ones on the train. "Hello all passengers, we are now reaching the end of the line. Please watch the doors on the way out."

"Hey I know that guy!" Gil got up, "he's a Giygas! A Limestone actually!"

The Gigas are a race made completely out of rock. They have lava instead of blood and are extremely tall. Limestones are about as fragile as humans, but they are smarter, and about a third as tall as normal Gigas. They had been accused of stealing mountains from an ancient race. Don't ask me how they did it.

Gil, Esdus, and Zage got out of the train. Zage was in the front with Esdus and Gil walking behind. Esdus turned around after he was a good distance from the train, and he turned around. The train was gone. Not a trace, not even rails were left. Then again this place was blocked off by the government. They were dropped off in a large plain. There was dirt everywhere, not sand oddly enough. There was a large structure right in the middle of the trios' field of view. The building was dirt, and had channels and stairs all over it. This place had obviously seen better days. The walls were corroded and support beams hung from various places outside of the building.

"Are we going in there?"

"Of course tin-head, it's the only building for miles"

"Oh soooory, I just wanted to know, but noooo, the GemPopper has to chime in and state the obvious!"

"Look at you, like you could talk about statin' the obvious"

Esdus put his finger up to say something, but Zage put his arm up and stopped moving "stop…do you hear that?"

Gil and Esdus stopped and listened. A deep rumble shook the landscape and a great roar reverberated thought the trio. Esdus turned around and pointed at a creature in the distance.

"RUUUUUUUUUN!" He turned toward the structure and bolted with the others, they ran to the structure and took refuge inside

"Okay, we can't stay for long, let's just get the gem and leave. Esdus said

The creature bashed against the structures wall. Gil winced and grabbed Esdus, Zage had already gone ahead…again. The temple was like a maze. It was a maze, completely devoid of anything straight forward. But they made it. Gill grabbed the gem from its pedestal. It was huge, he had to carry it like a watermelon through the maze and away from the creature.

"Here, let me" Esdus held out his right hand. It was perfect for the watermelon sized gem. Gil dropped the gem into Esdus' hand. He carried it with ease. They ran back through the maze carefully avoiding the creature. But it was gaining on them, it snapped their Esdus' heels. However, the trio managed to just escape, fleeing from the sight as fast as they could to the nearest train station.

. . .

"So, it seems that you three have gotten the Wist gem I asked you for" This quest giver was different, he was a Wisterner.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Esdus scoffed at him

"This! That's what," he said as he whipped the gem out of Esdus' hand, "I'll take that!" he looked over at Gil.

"Hey, don't teat my friend like that. He helped me get this gem, so he gets some of the credit too." Gill wrapped his arm around Esdus' shoulder. "If you want to get to him, you're gonna have to go through me!"

Esdus did the same with his arm. "Yeah, and vice versa punk"

"You, a Wisterner aren't you?" He ignored Esdus and looked over at Gil

"Yup, why?"

"Just, I mean, if you want this, I could help a fellow Wisterner out." He handed the Wist gem to Gil. Esdus crossed his arms (sort of) and glared at the Quest giver.

"Just, ignore my friend here, he's just head strong, well, arm strong."

"Yeah, what _is_ his problem anyway?' He stared right at Esdus with extreme prejudice, "He fella, you might wanna hide that disgusting arm of yours, or I'll have to arrest you for public indecency!"

Esdus hid his arm behind his back. Gil kicked the Quest giver in the shins and left. Zage and Esdus followed.

Zage had grabbed a piece of paper from the Quest givers desk. It had their next mission on it. "Go to the Red Forest." The Red Forest was inhabited by the Flamelings. Their skin is tan, with a little red and their hair is a striking crimson color. They are temperamental and clever. The trio approached the forest. All of the trees were a reddish color, and their leaves were on the ground.

"Alright gang," Gil said, exited, "we gotta make this quick. We've got a member on our team that's all about hiding in the shadows, and when nightfall comes, all the trees will glow. We will leave ourselves open for attack"

Esdus turned to Gil, "wait, if there's light coming from the trees, wont that make more shadows."

"No tin head, use your brain. It's not just the trees, it's everything. Even the leaves on the ground glow."

"Wait, but how do you know where the gem is?"

Gil pulled down the goggles from his head, "These babies! They help me know what gem is there, and where it is. If I just keep these on-" Gil looked around. Esdus and Zage had gone. Nowhere to be found. He called their names.

"ESDUUUS, ZAAAAGE!" where were they? "ESSSSSDU-MMMPH!" Gil blacked out.

Gil woke up tied to a tree stripped of its bark about 400ft off the ground. All of his clothes had been taken off. And so had his belongings. He looked around and saw Zage in a cage and Esdus tied up like him.

"Oh, where are we?" Gill asked Esdus.

Esdus looked over at Gil, frustrated. "About 400 feet up GemPopper."

"And how long have you been awake, Tin Head?"

Esdus Replied bitterly "Forever."

You see, it is impossible to get an Aeternal to go unconscious. It is also extraordinarily hard to kill them. They are built ruggedly and live for hundreds of years. Our Aeternal is only about 20 years old, so he is still getting used to things.

"Hey guys?" Zage spoke. "I'm in a cage, 400 feet of the ground."

If he wasn't, he could just Teleport Gil and Esdus out of the bonds and onto the ground. Did I mention that? Yeah, he can teleport too. But not himself, only others.

"Wait, Esdus, don't you have those two spiny things on your arms?" Gil said to Esdus.

"Oh yeah!" He started to rub his fore-arm claws on the rope binding his arms together. It snapped, and Esdus fell to the ground, all 400 pounds of him. He hit the ground with a large THUMP! Sticked the landing though. His THUMP Felled Zage and Gills' tree, Zages cage swung open due to the shattering force Esdus' dense body made when hitting the ground and Zage teleported Gill on top of Esdus to break his fall. Gil hit Esdus softly, but Zage followed, smashing Gil into Esdus' sharp body.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" Gil cried. A moment later a legion of Flamelings came rushing around Gil, Zage and Esdus.

"Oh no." Esdus muttered.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Gil grabbed a green Gem from his backpack and tossed it up into the air. A poisonous cloud of smoke filled the forest.

"Get down!" Gil Grabbed Esdus' arm and tripped Zage onto the ground. "Don't touch this gas. It will kill you instantly."

The three of them crawled under the smoke and retrieved the Wist gem from an unsuspecting tree.

"Well that was easy!" Esdus exclaimed as they were walking back to the Quest givers building.

"Hey, Esdus, could you uh, _jump _over to that branch over there?"

Esdus glared at Gil. Aeternals can't jump, they're made of metal, too heavy.

"I hate you" Esdus said quietly.

"Hey, what jumps higher, a dinosaur, or an Aeternal? The dinosaur, Aeternals can't jump at all!"

Zage and Gil Burst out into laughter.

"That's just a myth! We can too jump!" Esdus leaped up about 2 inches, then came down with a thump that shook the earth beneath him.

"Wow," he said, "I really can't jump!" he joined Zage and Gil's laughter, and wrapped his arms around them. They laughed all the way back to the building.

CHAPTER 3

When the three of them got to the Quest givers office, there was no one there. Just the trio. They sat down and waited for the counselor to come to tell them where the next mission was. Instead, a girl came into the room. She was a Colosian. Gil shot up out of his chair.

"Hey pretty lady, you like strong men, cause I got guns." He opened up his jacket to display a surprising amount of guns.

"Don't listen to him baby, what you want is full metal." Esdus got out of his seat and started thrusting.

"Oh please, you're not getting anybody with that arm!"

"You're not getting anybody with that face!"

Zage conked their heads together. "We're supposed to work with her not hit on her!"

The Quest giver walked into the room.

"So, I see you've meet your new partner!"

Esdus and Gil glared at him. Zage leaned back in his chair.

"You have a mission, go to and retrieve the Lux gem."

Lux gems are full of dark energy. Whoever absorbs the power of a Lux gem gets about 1/3rd of it. The rest is too powerful for the host to carry in them.

The foursome (shut up) left the building and went off to to get the Lux gem.

"So, I see you've not got your slime on you today." Gil said to the girl. She was a Colosian, and horrible rumors are spread about them. I mean really, they are in official Wister books, its nuts.

"Yeah, and how are you hiding your horns?" Esdus said

"And where's your pet Satan?" Zage said

Esdus and Zage high-fived. Or rather, high six, because Esdus used his right arm and Zage had three fingers.

"All those myths are fake guys," She said, "and if you believe them, you're wasting your time." She ignored Zage and Esdus for the rest of the journey. About 3 hours later, they got to a massive triangle of Wolvekin, Wolvekin are werewolf-like and are brutish and strong. But they are also quite cunning. Gil and Esdus started plowing through the Wolvekin and Zage made his way through the wake of Wolvekin that Gil and Esdus had left behind. Once they had gotten past the Wolvekin, they saw a huge Wolvekin-like creature. It was part Gigas, so it was about eight feet tall. Gil ran up to it and managed to run up its leg. He continued running all the way up it until he was at his head. He took out one of his guns and shot the monster in the head multiple times before he landed on the ground. He pivoted around to his kill. Esdus came to him and put his arm on Gil's shoulder.

"Nice kill GemPopper!" He fist-bumped Gil

"Thanks Tin-head."

The Lux gem was on a pedestal on in a shrine. The shrine was made of stone and was old and withered. The rock corroded by thousands of years' worth of acid rain. The Lux gem was glowing a black color. The girl was walking up to it.

Esdus Spoke to her, "hey, what are you doing, that's-"

"My buff!" Zage finished Esdus' sentence. Zage started running to the gem, but the girl had already grabbed it. She started to levitate and a dark sphere surrounded her. Her eyes turned green. She beckoned towards the trio.

"With this, I can take over the entirety of Torsin." She gestured towards Gil. No reaction. Gil just looked in awe. She looked over to Zage. He vigorously shook his head. She looked over to Esdus, he glared at her. She lashed out

"HA! That wasn't a choice!" She said.

Esdus got up and started walking towards her. His eyes had turned from the normal red and orange to green

"No." Gil said. "NO!" he was shouting this time. He reached for Esdus, but his grasp was just out of reach when Esdus was enveloped in the darkness. A flash of light blinded Zage and Gil. When it faded, they saw Esdus, he had changed. He was more demonic in appearance, his scythe was serrated now, and he had a red-hot horn. His chest had an eye on it and his face was more pronounced. He stepped out of the darkness and looked straight at Gil. He contracted his right arm and Gil blacked out.

CHAPTER 4

Gil woke up with Zage in a Prison cell.

"Oh my god, where are we?" Gil looked at himself, he was badly bruised and some of his bones were sprained. The first thing he saw was Zage, he was missing his amulet. Gil moved and a sharp pain reverberated throughout his body.

"GAH!"

Esdus walked over to the prison cell.

"The great lord Esdus wishes to see you now." Wait, that didn't sound like Esdus, this was a warden dressed up like Esdus. The Esdus Warden dragged Gil and Zage to a humongous chamber. Esdus was sitting on a throne big enough for him. He was covered in robes. And was holding his scythe like a staff. The warden dragged Gil over to Esdus. He kneeled after being forced to by the warden.

"Hello, Wisterner. How's it going?" Esdus' voice was sinister, and was deeper than before.

"Esdus I-"

"You what? Need help? Ha! Who would've guessed? He's coming to _me _for help."

"What happened to _her_?"

"Who?"

"The Girl that did this."

"I killed her. She was too weak."

Esdus looked down at Gil. His eyes were no longer green. They were normal, but with a little _blue_ inside.

Gil was too weak to kneel anymore. He collapsed onto the ground.

"I DID NOT SAY THAT YOU COULD LIE DOWN!" Esdus hit Gil with the base of his scythe.

Gil recoiled and struggled to get back up. He managed to kneel.

"What happened to Esdus?"

"What?!"

"My friend, what happened to him?"

"He's gone now. You drove him away." Esdus brought his foot down onto Gil's right arm. The bones inside gave a deep CRUNCH! As Esdus forced his foot in more.

"THIS is what it felt like when you shoved that Wist gem into me."

Gil's right arm started to glow blue. It lifted up. Esdus smashed it down onto to cold, marble floor.

"And THIS is what it felt like to have this!" he held up his Mutated right arm. The blue magic covered Gil, it lifted him up. Esdus got out of his throne. He was heavier now. It seemed that the whole room shook with every lethargic step he took. Bringing each foot down with a mighty THUD and a CLANK.

"HOW DOES THIS FEEL? HUH." Esdus repeatedly smashed Gil onto the ground.

"THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE. EXACTLY WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE ME. AETERNALS CAN FEEL, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

He reached Gil, who was near death, and put his right hand around his throat. Before he squeezed his hand, Gil managed to mutter.

"i'm sorry".

Esdus' expression loosened a little bit, but it tightened again and he threw Gil on the ground. Three of his ribs broke, stabbing into his lungs. Gil was barely able to stay awake. He saw Esdus walking back to his throne before blacking out.

. . .

Gil awoke to the sight of Zages face. Zage was carrying him along in some village. He managed to look to the side and saw that this was one of the Raftbuilders' villages. The Raftbuilders are a fish-like, and are very bright people. They are traders and are very helpful. A flowing river bordered it on one side, trees on the other. The village smelled fresh, and everybody was up and about. People were selling food, children were playing, and a few bells rang too. It was noon, the next day. Gil was alive, Esdus spared him. He was still in there somewhere.

"Hey buddy, you up yet?" Zage looked down at Gil and smiled a little bit.

Gil made some wheezing sounds and pointed to the river.

"You sure buddy?"

Gil tried to nod. Zage put him in the water. He drifted along too fast and Zage couldn't keep up. A Lobster-like Raftbuilder down the river grabbed Gils left arm when he saw him. Gil winced.

"Whoa buddy, you okay there?" The Raftbuilder said as he pulled Gil out of the river and onto the bank.

Gil wheezed some more. The Raftbuilder looked at Gil. His body was covered in bruises and scars.

"Here, let me take you in." The Raftbuilder said as he saw Zage "So you're his caretaker right?"

Zage was quiet and just followed The Raftbuilder into his house.

"He set Gil down onto a table and reached went over to a shelf. He pulled out a Wist gem and touched it to Gil. "Ha! Healing gem!"

The Wist entered Gil and the gem was left colorless

Gils arm repaired, and his chest became convex again.

Zage spoke "How did you-? "He was cut off by Gil

"How did you-?" The Raftbuilder cut Gil off

"The Wist gem? I lived in the Wister for a few years to learn how to harness their power."

"Wow," Gil was awestruck, "Thanks for helping me, how did you know that that Wist gem did the thing you wanted it to do?"

"I trained these babies." He pointed to his eyes.

"Okay well, thank you for helping, I have to go now."

The Raftbuilder stood in their way.

"oh, no, you're not going anywhere."

Gils covered his face with his left arm. The Raftbuilder held out his hand.

"My name is Sparkston Huk, nice to meet you!"

"Huk?!" Zage asked excitedly

Gil met Sparkstons hand. "Gil, nice to meet you too."

Remember when I said 'a Wisterner, an Aeternal, and an Instectoid' went on an adventure? I lied.

CHAPTER 5.


End file.
